Warner Bros. is heading back into The Matrix, but this time without Lana or Lilly Wachowski at the helm. THR reports today that The Cabin in the Woods filmmaker Drew Goddard will write and direct the new feature.

Plot details remain under wraps at this time, but THR reports that Goddard presented a new take that will extend the franchise. Lana Wachowski will remain on board as executive producer.

“Drew came to Warner Bros. with a new idea that we all believe would be an incredible way to continue the Matrix world, by both honoring what Lana and Lilly began over 25-years ago and offering a unique perspective based on his own love of the series and characters,” said Warner Bros. Motion Pictures president of production Jesse Ehrman in a statement. “The entire team at Warner Bros. Discovery is thrilled for Drew to be making this new Matrix film, adding his vision to the cinematic canon the Wachowskis’ spent a quarter of a century building here at the studio.”

“It is not hyperbole to say The Matrix films changed both cinema and my life,” said Goddard in a statement. “Lana and Lilly’s exquisite artistry inspires me on a daily basis, and I am beyond grateful for the chance to tell stories in their world.”

It feels safe to assume that the new Matrix will leave Neo (Keanu Reeves) and Trinity (Carrie-Anne Moss) behind, who both wrapped up their arcs in 2021’s The Matrix Resurrections.

In The Matrix Resurrections, return to a world of two realities: one, everyday life; the other, what lies behind it. To find out if his reality is a physical or mental construct, to truly know himself, Mr. Anderson (Keanu Reeves) will have to choose to follow the white rabbit once more. And if Thomas…Neo…has learned anything, it’s that choice, while an illusion, is still the only way out of—or into—the Matrix. Of course, Neo already knows what he has to do. But what he doesn’t yet know is the Matrix is stronger, more secure and more dangerous than ever before. Déjà vu.

Goddard previously wrote Cloverfield as well as horror-genre blending Cabin in the Woods, his directorial debut.

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Up next from writer/director Tilman Singer (Luz) is NEON’s strange horror movie Cuckoo, starring Hunter Schafer (“Euphoria”). NEON unveiled a new trailer this morning that teases just how Cuckoo Singer’s latest may get.

Look for Cuckoo to now arrive in theaters nationwide on August 9, 2024.

Watch the new trailer below to get a feel for the strange horror ahead.

In Cuckoo: “Reluctantly, 17-year-old Gretchen leaves her American home to live with her father, who has just moved into a resort in the German Alps with his new family. Arriving at their future residence, they are greeted by Mr. König, her father’s boss, who takes an inexplicable interest in Gretchen’s mute half-sister Alma. Something doesn’t seem right in this tranquil vacation paradise. Gretchen is plagued by strange noises and bloody visions until she discovers a shocking secret that also concerns her own family.”

Dan Stevens (The Guest), Jessica Henwick (Underwater), Marton Csókás (Freelance), Greta Fernández (Santo) and Jan Bluthardt (Luz) also star in Cuckoo.

I wrote in my review out of SXSW, “There’s inventive worldbuilding on display that sets this high-concept horror movie apart and a few intense horror cat-and-mouse scenes that deliver palpable tension. But Singer approaches it with a playful sense of humor that only further nudges Cuckoo into the realm of weird cinema. It’s so refreshingly unconventional and unpredictable in every way, right down to its raucous, entertainingly silly finale, that it’s hard to care about all of the plot that gets discarded along the way.”

NEON is having a busy year in horror. The Sydney Sweeney-starring Immaculate is in theaters now with the Nicolas Cage-starring Longlegs set to arrive in July.

Tom Quinn, Jeff Deutchman, Emily Thomas and Ryan Friscia executive produced Cuckoo for Neon, with producers including Markus Halberschmidt, Josh Rosenbaum, Maria Tsigka, and Ken Kao, Thor Bradwell and Ben Rimmer. Shot on 35mm in Germany, the upcoming film is a cooperation between Germany’s Fiction Park and the United States’ Waypoint Entertainment.

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Nell Tiger Free (“Servant”) finds herself embroiled in a terrifying conspiracy as American novitiate Margaret Daino in The First Omen, which 20th Century Studios will unleash in theaters on April 5.

The prequel to The Omen is directed by Arkasha Stevenson, based on characters created by David Seltzer (The Omen), with a story by Ben Jacoby (“Bleed”) and a screenplay by Tim Smith & Arkasha Stevenson and Keith Thomas (Firestarter).

The First Omen sees the shy Margaret sent to Rome in 1971 and explores the events surrounding the birth of the Antichrist. Ahead of the film’s release, Bloody Disgusting spoke with actor Nell Tiger Free about the film and the tribute she pays to 1981’s Possession with an impressive physical performance.

In The First Omen, Margaret finds herself drawn to an isolated young woman, Carlita (Nicole Sorace). In her bid to comfort and befriend the young girl, Margaret notices something may be deeply amiss at her new convent, and her superiors may have sinister designs on the young girls within the Church. It falls to the shy novitiate to attempt to thwart it. In other words, The First Omen taps into controversial themes of sexual abuse within the Church, something that Arkasha Stevenson and Nell Tiger Free took great care in approaching.

Nell Tiger Free as Margaret in 20th Century Studios’ THE FIRST OMEN. Photo by Moris Puccio. © 2024 20th Century Studios. All Rights Reserved.

“We had very frank, open conversations about it,” Free explains. “Nothing was off the table as far as things to discuss with me and Arkasha. There was no limit to what she and I would talk about in every walk of life and sense of life. It found its way into our conversation very naturally because, politically, at the time, there were some serious things going on, and it just very naturally found its way into the conversation. We spoke through these things and worked out what we were both comfortable with and what we were both comfortable with being in this film and showing.

“I never for a second worried that anything was going to be gratuitous or that anything was going to be there for the sake of it. At the end of the day, this is a horror film. It’s here to entertain. It’s here for people to enjoy. We’re not trying to spoon-feed you any sort of message or anything, but it is an exploration of assault, and it is an exploration of being in control of your own body. Thematically, these things just made sense with the story that we were telling. And we tried to tell it in a way that is something that is not there to shock or offend. It’s not there for those reasons. It’s there because it makes sense for the story. Because Arkasha and I were working it out together, there was never a moment where I felt like I was pushed too far or felt uncomfortable, not for a second, because we wanted to tell the story. We wanted to tell it right.”

When asked whether she had a pre-existing relationship with the franchise before taking on the role, Nell Tiger Free reveals she’s a massive horror fan.

She tells us, “I loved the original. I’ve seen it countless times. I’m a big horror buff, so naturally, The Omen would be in my wheelhouse of things that I love to watch. Coincidentally, it was also something that I absolutely enjoyed performing. So it was just an all-around lovely full circle moment for me.”

Nell Tiger Free as Margaret in 20th Century Studios’ THE FIRST OMEN. Photo courtesy of 20th Century Studios. © 2023 20th Century Studios. All Rights Reserved.

The actor’s horror fandom is never more apparent than in a scene that sees Margaret grappling with an unseen force, resulting in a daunting physical performance that pays tribute to Isabelle Adjani‘s unforgettable tunnel scene in Andrzej Zulawski’s Possession. Even more impressive is that this stunning moment took only two takes.

“Oh my God, I could not tell you for all the money in the world what was going through my mind in that sequence,” Free says of her mindset during this performance. “I honestly couldn’t. We didn’t have any rehearsals, and we didn’t choreograph it or do anything like that. We had Possession as a reference, which was a brilliant reference, and we just went for it. If memory serves, it was two takes. I’d like to dispel any rumors that I was on sort of a pulley device or CGI. There’s none of that.

“It was just 4:00 AM somewhere in Northern Italy, and we were all deranged and halfway through shooting anyway, and it just happened. Do I know if it could happen again? I don’t know. I don’t know. But I’m lucky enough that Arkasha created an environment where I just wanted to push myself as hard as I possibly could for her. It was an exhausting thing to perform, but it was such a satisfying exhaustion. Even though it was a very difficult thing to do, I just have nothing but really, really fond memories of performing at that moment. I’m just happy that it seems to be being received well and that just means the world. So yeah, I’m grateful people are happy to watch this weird, freaky thing that we decided to do.”

More than just delivering a powerful horror moment on screen, playing Margaret helped Nell Tiger Free focus less on vanity and more on her performance. The actor encourages everyone to tap into their inner Adjani, too.

“This film has helped me so much because there is not a lot of opportunity for beauty in this movie, in the typical sense,” she explains. “That was a beautiful thing in itself; it was like the dance that we were talking about, that was an opportunity to tap into the ugliest, most brutalist, intense, animalistic side of myself and show it to the world. It felt amazing and liberating, as well as incredibly feminist and cathartic. I would implore you to go home and do it in the mirror because I’ve been telling people this.

“You should honestly give it a go. It feels amazing.”

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Academy Award winner Russell Crowe plays real-life exorcist Gabriele Amorth in The Pope’s Exorcist, which made an impressive $76 million in theaters last year and shot to the top of Netflix’s streaming charts in the wake of its theatrical release. We had learned almost exactly one year ago that Screen Gems was working on a sequel, but what’s the latest on that?

In a recent chat with Virgin Media Television’s The Six O’Clock Show – brought to our attention by MovieWeb – Russell Crowe himself provided a fresh update on the future of our favorite Vespa-riding exorcist. It sounds like a trilogy had originally been planned at Screen Gems, but a change of studio heads has muddied up the works at this particular moment in time.

Crowe explained to the show when asked if he would be reprising the role of Gabriele Amorth, “That’s in discussion at the moment. The original producers… they originally got the kickoff from the studio not just for one sequel but for two. But there’s been a change of studio heads at the moment so that’s going around in a few circles. But very definitely, man.”

“We set that character up that you could take him out and put him into a lot of different circumstances,” Crowe continued. “And remember that the man that’s based on, Gabriele Amorth, he wrote twelve books. So we have more than enough source material to do one or two more of those films. But that probably won’t be until next year.”

In other words, it sounds likely that The Pope’s Exorcist 2 will eventually get off the ground, but it could be a bit before we have the next update. Stay tuned for more as we learn it.

There’s nothing remarkable about The Pope’s Exorcist, either good or bad, but a fun performance from Russell Crowe makes it worth a watch. He’s able to elevate the material from forgettable to enjoyable, which would explain why even Fangoria is demanding a sequel.

Julius Avery (Overlord) directed The Pope’s Exorcist.

From Sony’s Screen Gems, The Pope’s Exorcist is based on real-life exorcist Father Gabriele Amorth, “the legendary Italian priest who performed over 100,000 exorcisms for the Vatican.”

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Uncork’d Entertainment rolls out a black carpet of death with their new creature feature The Deadly Swarm, which flies onto Digital and On Demand outlets today, April 2nd.

In the tradition of films like The Swarm (1978) and Black Swarm (2007), The Deadly Swarm comes from producer Tyler James (The Loch Ness Horror, Monsternado).

From writer and director David Gregory (Krampus: The Return), Uncorkd’s The Deadly Swarm follows a group of cash desperate friends who attend a medical trial retreat.

“Lured under false pretenses and run by the suspicious Dr. Feldman, little do they know that the doctor has unwittingly created a race of killer flies, and they are hungry for blood.”

Uncork’d previews, “The Deadly Swarm offers genre enthusiasts good old-fashioned fun with inventive effects. For fans of Gremlins, The Howling, and Critters, it promises a nostalgic yet fresh take on creature horror.” Of course what they don’t mention is that unlike those aforementioned classics, this one looks to feature terrible computer-generated vampire flies.

But hey, these movies can be fun too! Watch the trailer below.

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As Screenlife storytelling transitions into the livestream era, movies like Michelle Iannantuono’s Livescreamers have me most excited. Early Screenlife films like Unfriended and The Den read like one-takers but are computer-set events like someone recorded their computer monitor or laptop screen. What Livescreamers offers — or examples like Spree, Deadstream, and #chadgetstheaxe — is the propulsive energy of a continuous stream devolving into chaos. Creators who put on celebrity identities face dreadful realities, not the protective online bubbles they’ve built where their antics draw millions of views. Livescreamers cherrypicks elements of Stay Alive, House on Haunted Hill, Unfriended, and cringy video game playthrough streams to create something horrifying that both sells its chills and comments on the vulnerable current state of livestream culture.

Low-budget restraints might hold back specific effects, and the film’s narrative throughline is a little wonky in spots, but what Iannantuono accomplishes comes from a place of authenticity. Livescreamers emerges from the Venn diagram overlap of enthusiastic gamers and passionate horror fans, with a dash of fearlessness as Iannantuono’s screenplay delves into the trecherous underbelly of each fandom.

The film’s perspective follows popular video creators Janus Gaming as they set out to conquer “House of Souls,” a horror survival title still in early access. Mitch Mackey (Ryan LaPlante) sits atop the food chain as Janus’ originator, a channel he expended to include a “diverse” group of personalities working in unison. Players include queer supergamer Dice (Maddox Julien Slide), chaotic presenting himbo Taylor (Coby C. Oram), resident chat-loved hottie Gwen (Sarah Callahan Black): the usual streamer suspects. Also included in the “House of Souls” episode is community contest winner Lucy (Neoma Sanchez), a megafan who gets to share a room with her idols. You’ve seen these online personalities before, either loved or hated them, and you can probably assume what happens when “House of Souls” begins — you’re reading Bloody Disgusting, after all.

Iannantuono’s ability to explore and exploit the horrors of being a content creator in the GamerGate era hits incredibly close to home (as someone who knows prominent games journalists and women journalists in multiple industries). Livescreamers is a virtual haunted house flick, but it’s also a vicious social commentary that isn’t afraid to chastise the public’s behavior. Michael Smallwood’s Nemo delivers a killer monologue about his experience with a “fan,” and why he chooses to keep DM’s locked as a Black gamer content creator. Movies like Deadstream or #chadgetstheaxe appropriately label their protagonists as attention-seeking, morality-devoid lunatics chasing viral acclaim, which Livescreamers highlights — but Iannantuono also bangs the drum for abused creators. Games journalism is probably the most thankless iteration of journalism, which the script validates. Look no further than Janus’ reported “Top 3” comments from their fanbase, a depressing trio of sexualization and racism despite Lucy’s insistence that the community is a positive force.

Then again, this wouldn’t be a proper Screenlife adaptation without touching on the monsters some creators become. Goofball duo Jon (Christopher Trindade) and Davey (Evan Michael Pearce) laugh their way through sexuality appropriation as the two hetero bros urge homoerotic fan fiction, shipping same-sex romance as comedy. Iannantuono is precise with her frustrations concerning YouTubers, Twitch streamers, and the like’s fakeness when generating their on-camera personas, whether that’s misleading couples acts or gross betrayals of company trust. Livescreamers gets juicier strikes against Janus employees mount, although some emotional arguments land with whimpers. Dramatic bleakness can feel like regurgitated tropes and stereotypes speak louder than the otherwise organic showmanship these creators express, especially in how some fates are sealed. That’s not to discredit Iannantuono’s justified and angry depictions of gross fangirl manipulation or how priorities shift when dollar signs become benchmarks, but may be a case of having too many points to make in a wonderfully brisk 90 minutes.

Livescreamers makes a striking impression as avatars explore “House of Souls,” which is cleanly rendered and intricately designed. Mechanical inspirations are drawn from Until Dawn, while storytelling revolves around folkloric siren mythology turning into a multiplayer game from the bowels of the dark web. Between Quick Time Events, controller steadiness mini-games, or Resident Evil-like puzzles, Iannantuono isn’t faking the film’s playable functionality. Easy references like the name of Anna Lin’s toxically cheerful host “Zelda” are surface-value decoys. Livescreamers plunges into the deep end regarding how faithful the game’s levels unravel, and how players react to in-game elements. Frauds are exposed for their moronic choices, while the graphics are surprisingly polished when compared to indie horror titles you can buy on Steam right now.

The film is rarely frightening outside a jump here and there but is sustainably creepy. “House of Souls” brings this deliciously medieval vibe as players explore a mansion filled with anything from art galleries to dank wine cellars, including steel knight’s swords (which may or may not be used as weapons). Livescreamers utilizes an “if you’re hurt in the game, you’re hurt in real life” dynamic, and isn’t afraid to unleash squishy, gratifying gore effects on a budget. Iannantuono earns points for even trying a beheading via livestream — let alone pulling off a suitable enough special effect. Gameplay mirrors anything from the unsettling handheld viewpoint in Fatal Frame to zombie escape sequences from Resident Evil, all with enough tension to blend with bloody accents when the worst happens.

I’ve admittedly never seen Iannantuono’s Livescream, but think their follow-up Livescreamers is a nifty horror take on the perils of online content creation. Iannantuono brings passion and experiential knowledge to the table, which shines through the “al dente CreepyPasta” as one character hilariously quips. Don’t expect legendary effects since this is an indie, small-scale production in a single livestream studio. Livescreamers can’t always meet its ideas with the production value they deserve, and does start-and-stop momentum when sporadic emotional beats stumble, but Iannantuono’s voice as a filmmaker is transfixingly confident. For all of the production’s shortcomings, she never loses control. As a more than casual gamer and ravenous horror fan (who thinks there should be more video game-centric horror films), Livescreamers scratches an itch that bleeds programming code and speaks assertively to its intended audience.

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